We have a goal to visit a minimum of one new country every year and this year we cut it close. I was finishing up a semester at University of Miami and my client demand had slowed considerably, so it was the perfect opportunity to go to Mexico. Mark had some vacation time built up and the price was right for our American flights down to Cancun – booked a month in advance, which is an enormous amount of planning from our standard travel whims). I’m a sunchaser at heart so I wanted a full week of activities.

We arrived in Cancun and melted as soon as we left the airport, which is a surprising $45 fare to city center. There was Uber but we felt no need to take it because…

the bus system in Cancun is extremely visitor-friendly.

For three reasons: 1) the fare is cheap – 50 cents to a couple dollars at most. And you can go ridiculously far with it. Miles away from Cancun city center, up to the Zona Hotelera (Hotel Zone) and down to the far side of the beach – over an hour on a single bus if you stay for the entire route. 2) each bus has windshield-length lettering that clearly identifies the bus number and its stops – it’s truly impossible to get it wrong. 3) the buses can connect you to many of the popular destinations – Yes, you can get to Chichen Itza, to the Cancun beaches, and Playa del Carmen for a few dollars.

Let me iterate: I strongly encourage you use this bus system instead of renting a car.

Did we do that? No, we played Why is the rum gone? and drank like pirates for most of the week, but since it’s a 90 minute flight from Florida, we’ll probably be back.